PhD Handbook: Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination is a means to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of the student's preparation to complete the doctoral dissertation. The qualifying examination (oral examination) may be taken only after the student has satisfied all program core, methodology, and emphasis requirements. Students should begin work on position papers in consultation with advisers and planning for the qualifying examination while completing course requirements.
Pre-qualifying Review
The prequalifying review requires students to pull together their graduate education--course work and research--into a coherent whole. Students will be expected to relate what they have learned to issues of concern in their field of study, and to be able to take and defend positions on these varying issues. The Prequalifying Review consists of the approval of three papers. Two of these must be position papers on a theoretical topic. For the third paper, students would have the option of writing a dissertation prospectus or a position paper. One of the papers must focus on an issue or area of research that is not directly in alignment with the other two papers to ensure some breadth of work. Position papers should demonstrate thorough knowledge of theoretical areas, (typically, in papers of about 20 pages or more in length) preferably those related to the dissertation. The papers should critically examine a body of literature and demonstrate the student's ability to use the literature to defend a position. Students should work with their advisers and potential committee members in determining properly focused topics.
Prospectus
For students who opt to do a dissertation prospectus in lieu of a third position paper, the prospectus should be an early draft of the dissertation proposal, approximately fifteen pages in length. It should include any preliminary work done in the area, such as a pilot study. The proposal should consider prior research findings, research goals, hypotheses and methodology, as well as the theories, strategies, and analyses that will be used in the dissertation research.
Prequalifying Review Approval Procedure
The student's faculty adviser and two other faculty members must read and approve each of the three papers as ready to be defended in the oral qualifying exam. Depending upon the student's topics, different faculty members may be involved in reading each of the different papers, so that the student has the opportunity to enlist faculty with special expertise in the particular area covered by a paper. The student's faculty adviser oversees the process, is one of the readers for all three papers, and approves topics for each paper to ensure breadth and relevance. If the third paper is a prospectus, the faculty readers and the student's adviser should, if possible, be members of the student's dissertation committee. Final selection of the dissertation committee would be made after the qualifying exam.
The time frame for preparation and completion of each of the papers will necessarily vary according to the speed with which students progress through the program. We recommend that students begin the research for at least one of their position papers during the second year of the program. All three papers must be completed and approved before the student takes the oral exam.
We recommend that students' advisers report on students' progress on their position papers as part of the annual review of doctoral candidates. Completed position papers should be made available to all faculty prior to and during the review. If papers are not complete, drafts may be presented to aid faculty in their review. Students must complete forms for each of the major steps of the process so that there are clear signposts for the students' progress through the program. The first of these would be the advising form which appears earlier in this handbook. The following are are steps used for the prequalifying review process.
1. When a student's prequalifying papers for the doctorate are complete, the student obtains a Report on Prequalifying Review form from the Doctoral Programs Coordinator.
2. Faculty who read the student's papers sign the Report on Prequalifying Review form, which then allows the student to schedule the oral exam.
3. The completed form(s) are filed by the Doctoral Programs Coordinator in the student's file. Copies of the forms should also be provided to the student and the student's faculty adviser.
4. When students have completed the Prequalifying Review and required course work, they are ready to take the Qualifying Examination. In the quarter in which they take their Qualifying Examination, they must have completed, or be enrolled in the last of the courses listed on their Advising Form.
Qualifying Examination (Orals)
The Qualifying Examination is the University's means of evaluating and certifying the adequacy and appropriateness of students' preparation for the doctorate. The Qualifying Examination is an oral examination of two hours duration. The Examination Committee is ordinarily composed of five members. The graduate adviser recommends prospective members for the committee to Graduate Studies after consultation with the student. Final determination of the membership of the committee is made by Chair of Graduate Council. The purpose of this examination is: 1) to test eligibility of the student for admission to candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education; and 2) to evaluate his or her ability to complete a satisfactory doctoral dissertation.
We strongly recommend that at least one member of the student's committee be appointed from outside the School of Education. The chairperson of the Qualifying Examination Committee cannot be the faculty member who will serve as chairperson of the student's dissertation committee.